Automatic control for heating plants



Nov. 25, 1930. L. G. L. THOMAS ,7 ,489

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR.HEATING PLANTS Filed July 30, 192 I 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Mm, I I Q Ex W65 I Noy. 25, 1930. L. G. THOMAS 1,782,489

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR HEATING PLANTS Filed July 30, 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Laws 61 Thomas Patented Nov. 2 5, 1930 j r LOUIS e. L. THOMAS, oncmcAeo,ILLINOIS AnTOMA rIC-" ONTROL man rmqfrmms V unmanne Juliet, 1926.Semitic; 125,904. a

This invention relates to an automatic control for a heating plant ofthe type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,576,687, andconcerns itself primarily with'a pilot Valve which is automaticallyoperated at 'predetermined intervals to establisha communicationbetweenfapumping system and a boileror the like. I. u In theaforementioned patent referred to, a diaphragm alve orthe like locatedin the boiler feed pipe is adapted to be operated through theaccumulation of sufl icient pressure within the circulating tank. Itisan object of this invention to provide a quicker and more positiveaction for operatihgthe diaphragm valve. To this end the pump isdirectly connected to the diaphragm Valve. The pilotyalve islocated inthis connection and is operated by the rising water in the circulatingtank. Consequently when the pilot Valve is opened, thepump will force astream or piston of water directly against the .diaphragmvalve foropening the boiler feed. The invention comprises the novelstructurefandicombinations hereinafter described and more particularly.pointed out" and defined in the appended claims. e In the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this Vention and inwhich similar reference numeralsrefer to similar features in thediflierentyiewsz I f 1 I Figure 1' is an end eleyational View of thecontrol fora heating plant. j e Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinalsectional view through the circulating tank.

1 Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view V e u passages 18. A valve 19is adapted to be retaken on the line III- .111 ofFigure 1. i Figure iisj an enlarged top' plan View of Figurefil. L '1 1 Figurefiis an.enlarged sectional iew upon gale line v voirig e a. I

- In order thatthisin ention maybe better understood, Ifha veillustrated one View of the automatic control as disclosedintheaforementioned patent and a brief description and operation thereofwilljbe given order. that thefunction of the pilot valve lnay bethoroughly understood and appreciated.

Inreferringto Figures1 and 2',it"wi1l be noted thatIhave illustrated acirculating tank lwhich rests upon a vacuum tank 2.. A

centrifugal pump 3 is connected by means of aipipe etc; the lowerportionof the circulatmg tank. The pump 3 isal-so connected by meansof pipes5and 6 with acasting 7 upon the end of'thelcirculating tank. The castingis adapted for containing one or more jet ejectors of thetypeillustrated in the afore "mentioned patent. The aforementioned pipe 5has connected thereto a pipe 8 which may lead tofa boiler or receivingtank or the like. A suitable valve "9 u of any known type isilocatedinthe pipe Band isoperated by a connection from adiaphragm 10. orP1$1JO1T 01"65 the like. It may be mentioned that the return pipe fromaheating systemis connected 1 withthe vacuum tank as indicated in dottedlines by the number 11 in Figureil. The mechanism thus far describedsimilar to that disclosed in the aforementioned patent,

to: which reference may be had if necessary for a more thoroughunderstanding ofthe apparatus. i

The aforementioned pilot Valve is indicated. as a whole by thereferencenumeral--12; It consists of a housing that isattached upon aperforate boss 13 upon the top of'the tank 1;

the tankhavinga similarperforation. In the interior of the valve housingis provided a suitable bearing 14: havinga central bore 15. A pipe 16 isthreaded in this bearing and extends to thediaphragm as showninFigure 1. e A second pipe 17 isthreaded in saidbearing and is connectedtothe discharge pipe 6 of the pump. Thepipes 16 and 17 communicate withthe central bore by means of suitable cipr-ocated inthecentral bore 15.This valve constitutes a portion of acylindrical rod'20 which extendsthrough the bore from a point within the circulating tank 1. The lowerend i of the rod 20 is supported in bearing 21 e which is cast with thelvalve housing to the connecting arms 221 It will benoted that .913

the rod 20in proximity to the ports '18 is provided with a reducedportion 23 whichfis. 1

upon which a circular seat 25 is mounted. which supports a flexible airvalve cushion 26, adapted to abut a seat 27 upon a hollow nut 28 whichis threaded in the top of the housing and which serves as an air reliefport, and to limit the upward movement of the valve rod 20.

The bearing 14 is also provided with a water relief port 29 whichextends from the bottom thereof to a transverse passage 30 which extendsfrom the central bore 15 tothe exterior of the housing. The exterior endof the passage 30 is closed by anut 31. This water relief port providesfor leakage and for relieving the pressure on the diaphragm or pistonvalve after the same has been operated by a piston of water and the rod20 has descended through. the lowering of the float for shutting oil theinlet port 18 to pipe 17 and for bringing the ports 30 and diaphragmpipe 16 into communication through the reduced portion 23 of rod 20 asshown in dotted lines in Figure 3 whereby the fluid an escape fromdiaphragm pipe 16 through the reduced port 23 of rod 20 to relief pas-30 and 29. I

A coil spring 33 is confined between the aforementioned seat 25 and thetop of the bearing 14. This spring is normally effective for elevatingthe valve 19 for opening the port 18 and bringing the same intocommunica tion with the diaphragm pipe 16. As shown in Figure 2, asuitable clevis 3a is attached to the valve rod 20 and this clevis isprovided with a bolt 35 which extends through a slot in a float lever 37which is located in the circulating tank 1. A float 38 is secureduponone end of the lever 37 and the other end of the lever, it will benoted, extends beyond the slot 36 and is pivoted to a bracket 39depending from the top of the circulating tank. If desirable, a guiderod 40 may extend into the circulating tank from the top thereof forguiding the movements of the float lever 37.

In the operation of this apparatus a certain amount of water ismaintained in the c'rculating tank 1 for priming the pump. hen the pumpis operated it will draw water from the tank 1 through the pipe anddischarge it through the pipes and 6 to the ejectorsin the casting 7.The action of the ejectors will produce a vacuum which will draw thewater of condensation from the tank 2 into the circulating tank. Duringthis 0 aeration of the pump the float 38, providing, of course, that thecirculating tank is not sufliciently full of water, will maintain thevalve rod 20 in closed position as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3so that the pump cannot discharge any water through the pipe 17'. As thepump continues to operate and the water level in the circulating tankrises, it will-reach a point where it will elevate the float 38 allowingthe spring 33 to open the discharge port 18 which leads to the pump pipe17. Obviously if the spring 33 should not function properly the floatlever 37 may become effective for elevating the valve rod 20 for openingthe said port 18.

As soon as the port 18 of the pump pipe 1'? is opened the pump will pumpwater into the central bore 15 of the valve housing and this water willbe forced into the pipe 16 which "leads to the diaphragm 10 for openingthe cutoff valve in the pipe 8 whereby the pump will deliver water tothe boiler or the like. lVhen the water in the tank 1 recedes to asufficient point the float will naturally drop and draw the valve rod 19downwardly to close the pump port 18.

It will be appreciated that the stream or piston of water which acts onthe diaphragm 10 is directly under the force or pressure of the pumpaffording a quicker and more positive action for operating thediaphragm.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through awide range without departing from the principles of this invention, andI therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise thannecessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A control apparatus for a heating plant. comprising a watercirculating system hav mg a pump, a Water delivery pipe extending fromsaid circulating system, a valve in said delivery pipe, a diaphragmconnected to said valve, a connection from said pump to said diaphragm,a valve in said last named connection, and means regulated by saidcirculating system for controlling said last named valve;

2. In a control apparatus of the character described, a circulatingtank, a pump con nected to said tank for circulating water therethrough,a boiler feed pipe connected to said pump, a valve in said boiler feedpipe, a valve connected to said tank, a diaphragm for operating thevalve in said boiler feed pipe, a fluid conduit connecting saiddiaphragm and the valve on said tank, a fluid conduit connecting saidvalve with the discharge pipe of said pump, and a float in said tankconnected to the valve thereon for the purpose set forth.

3. In acontrol apparatus of the character described. a water circulatingsystem including a pump, a boiler feed pipe extending from saidcirculating system, means for controlling the flow through said boilerfeed pipe including a fluid pressure line in which the fluid is actuateddirectly by the force of said pump, and automatic means controlled bythe height of Water in the circulating system for controlling the fluidpressure line.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a circulating tank, acentrifugal pump, a connection between said tank and the inlet side ofsaid pump, a discharge pipe connecting said tank and pump, a boiler feedpipe connected to said discharge pipe, a valve in said boiler feed pipe,a'diaphragm for controlling said valve, a conduit connection be,-

tWeen said diaphragm and discharge pipe, avalve in said conduit,andmeans controlled by the height of Water in said tank for controllingsaid last mentioned valve for the purpose set forth. 7 I

5. In combination, a Water tank, a jet ne ector thereln, a power drivenpump for circulating Water through said ejector and l tank, a deliverypipe connected to said pump,

a valve in said delivery pipe, and means for periodically actuating saidvalve throughthe force of said pump, comprising a conduit through WhichWater is forced by the pump, a valve in said conduit, and a float insaid tank for controlling said last mentioned valve.

6. In an apparatus of the class described,

a circulating tank, a pump for circulating Water through said tank, avalve secured to said tank, a connection between said valve and pump, aWater delivery pipe] connected to said pump, a diaphragm valve in saiddelivery pipe, a connection. leading from said diaphragm valve to saidfirst mentioned valve, and a float in said tank for controlling saidlast mentioned valve.

7. In an apparatus of the class described,

. a Water circulating system, a water delivery odically delivering Waterto a remote point, a diaphragm valve in said delivery pipe, and

pipe extending from said system for perimeans including a fluid pressureline in which the fluidis actuated by said circulat ing system 'forcontrolling said valve, said means embodying a valve controlled by theheight of fluid in said system.

8. A control mechanism for a heating plant comprising a Watercirculating system having a pump and a Water delivery pipe, a valve insaid dellvery pipe, a diaphragm connected to'said valve, afluidconnection fromsald pump to said diaphragm, a valve housing insa1dconnection having an air relief port, and a reciprocating rod insaid housing having a valve for controlling said air relief port, and areduced portion for controlling the flow of'fluid through saidconnection. y 1

9. In an apparatus of the class described, a Water circulating systemincluding a storage tank and a pump connected With said tank, a Waterdelivery pipepextending from said pump, a valve in said delivery pipe, a

diaphragm for operating said valve, a fluid connection between saiddiaphragm and pump, a valve in said connection and means operated by theheight of Water in said tank forcontrolling said last mentioned valve.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntosubscribed my name. 7 tn LOUIS e. L.THOMAS.

